Bridge the Generation Gap

School:: Laurel Oak Elementary
Subject:: Music
Teacher:: Cheryl Coffey
: Heather Grossi
Students Impacted:: 25
Grade:: 2
Date:: September 4, 2018

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

Lucie Jenny MacCarthy Music Fund of the Community Foundation of Collier County - $450.00

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 23

The students really enjoyed the experience with our SenIor Buddies. As we practiced the music, the excitement began to build. They were so proud of the cards and gifts they made for each visit. They were eager to share their schoolwork not only as a presentation, but to individually go to one of the residents and share their projects. They were especially thrilled to be invited upstairs to perform a few songs for those residents who were in therapy. The students' musical talent helped them do this without any musical help in the background. Their love of music shows in their performance. The residents were commenting on how well the children sang and that's because they were doing it for them. It is such a wonderful time to help students realize that they can reach out to the community and make a real impact on making a difference in a person's happiness. The residents not only enjoyed the performance, but loved the interaction with the children. All of this happens because music reaches out and makes a connection between young and old. The residents were grateful at the generosity of the Champions for Learning and Suncoast organizations to make this possible. We were invited to come back again next year, and hopefully that dream will become a reality, not only for the students but for the residents as well. We had 2 special songs of our own to share that were more personalized and made just for them - FRIENDS FOREVER and NAPLES, FLORIDA.

Original Grant Overview

Goal

Our goal is to help students understand that they are an important part of the community. They will learn to develop their musical talent with the collaboration of our Music Department. We choose songs appropriate to share with seniors at a retirement facility. Students will become more engaged in reaching out to our community and develop their musical talent. This will also tie in with the Social Studies Unit and helps them realize they are a valuable part of our community.

What will be done with my students

The classroom teacher will start out by reading two appropriate-age-level books which describes the type of facility the students will be visiting. The teacher will then teach the students what the expectations are for the trip and explain why we are going. Both teachers will coordinate music and songs in which students can encourage residents to sing along. They will be using musical instruments purchased from the generosity from grants received in the past. Students will use little hand shakers or tambourines which will coincide with the enhancement of the musical piece they are performing. They will also make a couple of cards to share with their "Senior Buddies" so all residents will get one and no one will be left out. Students will also incorporate Art by making some type of craft to share and that the residents may also keep. Students will be paired with the residents to share some of their classwork including the Social Studies Communities Unit. Students are usually invited upstairs to the Rehab section to interact with those patients, which shows students that all residents are included and no one is left out just because they are injured or unable to go to the main room. We try and make 2 trips each year to develop that community relationship.

Benefits to my students

Students and residents both benefit from this experience by being able to share in this opportunity. It shows the students how to interact music and art with learning and sharing. Both students and residents are provided with an experience that exposes them to different ages and cultures and how they can develop community friendships. Students will have the benefit of learning different genres of music and songs from an entirely different generation. They really enjoy this new friendship with their Senior Buddies.
Collaboration among both the Music Teacher and the Art Teacher helps the classroom teacher expand upon her knowledge in both areas. A special song has been written by the classroom teacher specifically for 2nd Graders to share called "Friends Forever".

Budget Narrative

There will be 2 trips to The Moorings which is quite a distance from LOE. The bus is needed for transportation. Musical instruments were purchased last year, but a purchase will be needed to make the gifts for the residents and for the sheet music copies for students for learning practice.

Items

#	Item	Cost
1	Rental of a school bus-2 trips	$200.00
2	Supplies for crafts	$150.00
3	Xerox paper and copy charges	$100.00
	Total:	$450.00

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